diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9bf1df9..0ce5d87 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -62,7 +62,21 @@ An absolute date:
   });
 ```
 
-Did I mention that js code weighs just **2.8 KB**?
+Start manually the counter:
+
+```javascript
+  $('#counter').countdown({
+    image: "digits.png",
+    format: "mm:ss",
+    endTime: new Date('07/16/13 05:00:00'),
+	start: false
+  });
+  $("#startButton").click(function (e) {
+	$('#counter').start();
+  });
+```
+
+Did I mention that js code weighs just **4.0 KB**?
 
 ### Developers
 
diff --git a/js/jquery.countdown.js b/js/jquery.countdown.js
index 05ab98a..532668e 100644
--- a/js/jquery.countdown.js
+++ b/js/jquery.countdown.js
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ var parseRelativeDate = function(form, options) {
 var formatCompute = function(d, options) {
       var format = options.format;
       var parse = {
-	d: d.getUTCDate() - 1,
+	d: Math.floor( ( d - new Date( d.getFullYear(), 0, 1 ) ) / ( 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 ) ),
 	h: d.getUTCHours(),
 	m: d.getUTCMinutes(),
 	s: d.getUTCSeconds()
@@ -187,6 +187,16 @@ var formatCompute = function(d, options) {
 // add leading zeros
 var pad = function(x){return (1e15+""+x).slice(-2)};
 
+var start = function (element) {
+	if (element.attr('started') != 'true') {	
+		element.attr('started', true)
+		intervals.main = setInterval(function () {
+				moveDigit(digits.length - 1, element.data('options'));
+			},
+			1000);
+	}
+};
+
 var digits = [];
 var intervals = [];
 jQuery.fn.countdown = function(userOptions) {
@@ -202,7 +212,8 @@ jQuery.fn.countdown = function(userOptions) {
     digitHeight: 90,
     timerEnd: function(){},
     image: "digits.png",
-    continuous: false
+    continuous: false,
+	start: true
   };
   $.extend(options, userOptions);
 
@@ -219,7 +230,14 @@ jQuery.fn.countdown = function(userOptions) {
   if (this.length) {
     clearInterval(intervals.main);
     createDigits(this, options);
-    intervals.main = setInterval(function(){ moveDigit(digits.length - 1, options); },
-                                 1000);
+	this.data('options', options);
+	if (options.start === true) {
+		start(this);
+	}
   }
 };
+
+// start the counter
+jQuery.fn.start = function () {
+	start(this);
+};
diff --git a/js/jquery.countdown.min.js b/js/jquery.countdown.min.js
index ef6e0c4..644ced6 100644
--- a/js/jquery.countdown.min.js
+++ b/js/jquery.countdown.min.js
@@ -1 +1 @@
-var createDigits=function(a,b){for(var d,e,c=0,f=0;f<b.startTime.length;f++){if(parseInt(b.startTime[f])>=0){if(elem=$('<div id="cnt_'+c+'" class="cntDigit" />').css({height:b.digitHeight,"float":"left",background:"url('"+b.image+"')",width:b.digitWidth}),elem.current=parseInt(b.startTime[f]),digits.push(elem),margin(c,-elem.current*b.digitHeight*b.digitImages),b.continuous===!0)digits[c]._max=function(){return 9};else switch(b.format[f]){case"h":digits[c]._max=function(a,b){return 0==a%2?2:b?3:9};break;case"d":digits[c]._max=function(){return 9};break;case"m":digits[c]._max=function(a){return d||(d=a),a==d?9:5};break;case"s":digits[c]._max=function(a){return e||(e=a),a==e?9:5}}c+=1}else elem=$('<div class="cntSeparator"/>').css({"float":"left"}).text(b.startTime[f]);a.append(elem)}},makeMovement=function(a,b,c,d){intervals[a]&&window.clearInterval(intervals[a]);var e=-(d.digitHeight*d.digitImages*digits[a].current);margin(a,e),digits[a].current=digits[a].current+(c?b:-b);var f=0;intervals[a]=setInterval(function(){if(f++===d.digitImages*b)return window.clearInterval(intervals[a]),delete intervals[a],void 0;var g=c?-d.digitHeight:d.digitHeight;margin(a,e+f*g)},d.stepTime/b)},margin=function(a,b){return void 0!==b?(digits[a].margin=b,digits[a].css({backgroundPosition:"0 "+b+"px"})):digits[a].margin||0},moveDigit=function(a,b){if(0!=digits[a].current)makeMovement(a,1,!1,b);else if(a>0){var c=0==digits[a-1].current;makeMovement(a,digits[a]._max(a,c),!0,b),moveDigit(a-1,b)}else{for(var d=0;d<digits.length;d++)clearInterval(intervals[d]),clearInterval(intervals.main),margin(d,0);b.timerEnd()}},parseRelativeDate=function(a,b){var h,i,c=new Date,d=c.getDate(),e=c.getMonth()+1,f=c.getFullYear(),g=c.getHours(),j=b.format,k=a.split(":");return 0==j.indexOf("dd")&&(d=k[0],k=k.slice(1),j=j.substr(3)),0==j.indexOf("hh")&&(g=k[0],k=k.slice(1),j=j.substr(3)),0==j.indexOf("mm")&&(h=k[0],k=k.slice(1),j=j.substr(3)),0==j.indexOf("ss")&&(i=k[0],k=k.slice(1),j=j.substr(3)),new Date([e,d,f].join("/")+" "+[g,h,i].map(pad).join(":")+" GMT-0900")},formatCompute=function(a,b){var c=b.format,d={d:a.getUTCDate()-1,h:a.getUTCHours(),m:a.getUTCMinutes(),s:a.getUTCSeconds()};return c.replace(/(dd|hh|mm|ss)/g,function(a,b){return pad(d[b[0]])})},pad=function(a){return(1e15+""+a).slice(-2)},digits=[],intervals=[];jQuery.fn.countdown=function(a){var b={stepTime:60,format:"dd:hh:mm:ss",startTime:"01:12:32:55",digitImages:6,digitWidth:67,digitHeight:90,timerEnd:function(){},image:"digits.png",continuous:!1};if($.extend(b,a),a.endTime){var c=a.endTime instanceof Date?a.endTime:parseRelativeDate(a.endTime,b),d=c.getTime()-(new Date).getTime();a.startTime=formatCompute(new Date(d),b),delete a.endTime}$.extend(b,a),createDigits(this,b),intervals.main=setInterval(function(){moveDigit(digits.length-1,b)},1e3)};
\ No newline at end of file
+var createDigits=function(t,e){var i,n,r=0;digits=[],intervals=[];for(var a=0;a<e.startTime.length;a++){if(parseInt(e.startTime[a])>=0){if(elem=$('<div id="cnt_'+r+'" class="cntDigit" />').css({height:e.digitHeight,"float":"left",background:"url('"+e.image+"')",width:e.digitWidth}),elem.current=parseInt(e.startTime[a]),digits.push(elem),margin(r,-elem.current*e.digitHeight*e.digitImages),e.continuous===!0)digits[r]._max=function(){return 9};else switch(e.format[a]){case"h":digits[r]._max=function(t,e){return t%2==0?2:e?3:9};break;case"d":digits[r]._max=function(){return 9};break;case"m":digits[r]._max=function(t){return i||(i=t),t==i?9:5};break;case"s":digits[r]._max=function(t){return n||(n=t),t==n?9:5}}r+=1}else elem=$('<div class="cntSeparator"/>').css({"float":"left"}).text(e.startTime[a]);t.append(elem)}},makeMovement=function(t,e,i,n){intervals[t]&&window.clearInterval(intervals[t]);var r=-(n.digitHeight*n.digitImages*digits[t].current);margin(t,r),digits[t].current=digits[t].current+(i?e:-e);var a=0;intervals[t]=setInterval(function(){if(a++===n.digitImages*e)return window.clearInterval(intervals[t]),void delete intervals[t];var s=i?-n.digitHeight:n.digitHeight;margin(t,r+a*s)},n.stepTime/e)},margin=function(t,e){return void 0!==e?(digits[t].margin=e,digits[t].css({backgroundPosition:"0 "+e+"px"})):digits[t].margin||0},moveDigit=function(t,e){if(0!=digits[t].current)makeMovement(t,1,!1,e);else if(t>0){var i=0==digits[t-1].current;makeMovement(t,digits[t]._max(t,i),!0,e),moveDigit(t-1,e)}else{for(var n=0;n<digits.length;n++)clearInterval(intervals[n]),clearInterval(intervals.main),margin(n,0);e.timerEnd()}},parseRelativeDate=function(t,e){var i,n,r=new Date,a=r.getDate(),s=r.getMonth()+1,d=r.getFullYear(),g=r.getHours(),m=e.format,o=t.split(":");return 0==m.indexOf("dd")&&(a=o[0],o=o.slice(1),m=m.substr(3)),0==m.indexOf("hh")&&(g=o[0],o=o.slice(1),m=m.substr(3)),0==m.indexOf("mm")&&(i=o[0],o=o.slice(1),m=m.substr(3)),0==m.indexOf("ss")&&(n=o[0],o=o.slice(1),m=m.substr(3)),new Date([s,a,d].join("/")+" "+[g,i,n].map(pad).join(":")+" GMT-0900")},formatCompute=function(t,e){var i=e.format,n={d:Math.floor((t-new Date(t.getFullYear(),0,1))/864e5),h:t.getUTCHours(),m:t.getUTCMinutes(),s:t.getUTCSeconds()};return i.replace(/(dd|hh|mm|ss)/g,function(t,e){return pad(n[e[0]])})},pad=function(t){return(1e15+""+t).slice(-2)},start=function(t){"true"!=t.attr("started")&&(t.attr("started",!0),intervals.main=setInterval(function(){moveDigit(digits.length-1,t.data("options"))},1e3))},digits=[],intervals=[];jQuery.fn.countdown=function(t){var e={stepTime:60,format:"dd:hh:mm:ss",startTime:"01:12:32:55",digitImages:6,digitWidth:67,digitHeight:90,timerEnd:function(){},image:"digits.png",continuous:!1,start:!0};if($.extend(e,t),t.endTime){var i=t.endTime instanceof Date?t.endTime:parseRelativeDate(t.endTime,e),n=i.getTime()-(new Date).getTime();t.startTime=formatCompute(new Date(n),e),delete t.endTime}$.extend(e,t),this.length&&(clearInterval(intervals.main),createDigits(this,e),this.data("options",e),e.start===!0&&start(this))},jQuery.fn.start=function(){start(this)};
\ No newline at end of file